LYNN — It may have been a bittersweet ending to the actual season for the St. Mary’s girls basketball team, but all of that was forgotten Wednesday evening when the group finally got back together again to celebrate at the team’s annual end-of-season banquet.
“We haven’t been together as a full team since the Friday (March 13) after we won the state semifinal at the Garden,” said St. Mary’s coach Jeff Newhall. “We won on Wednesday, had a practice Thursday afternoon and then I got the call that everything was canceled at about 5:15 Thursday night. We had a small team meeting the next day where I saw everyone, but that was the last time until now.”
The Spartans had as successful a season as a team could have in 2019-2020, rolling all the way to the Division 3 state title game against Hoosac Valley. Because the state championship game was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both teams were awarded co-state champion status.
St. Mary’s set a program record for wins with its 25-2 season, and the Spartans took home titles at the Boverini Tournament (sixth straight), the Spartan Classic, the Hilton Head (S.C.) Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament and the Hoosac Valley Christmas Tournament.
But more than the accomplishments on the court, it was the growth off the court that Newhall was most proud of with his team.
“I know it’s cliche to say, but from Day 1 until the last day we were together, we didn’t have any problems as a team,” said Newhall. “You can have all the talent in the world, but if you don’t have the leadership to back it up you’re not going anywhere. We had great leadership and great team chemistry, and that’s what made us successful.”
The banquet took place on the patio at Rolly’s Tavern on the Square, which was entirely shut down for the event.
“I must say, the people at Rolly’s have been so great and generous to allow us to do this,” Newhall said. “There aren’t many, if any, sports banquets going on right now, and under the circumstances I don’t know many restaurants that would totally shut down their patio for a night to host us. We’re very grateful for that.”
The banquet ceremony was set up very much like a normal restaurant’s outdoor setup under the new COVID-19 regulations, with people wearing masks everywhere except at their respective tables.
The Spartans handed out awards to the varsity, junior varsity and freshman teams Wednesday night, headlined by Maiya Bergdorf and Gabby Torres sharing team MVP honors for the varsity squad. Other varsity awards went to Yirsy Queliz (Most Improved), Olivia Matela (Offensive Player of the Year), Nicolette D’Itria (Unsung Player Award), Alyssa Grossi (Spartan Award) and Jannise Avelino (Coaches Award).
All in all, Newhall is happy that his team was able to celebrate together one final time.
“We’ve been blessed to have been able to do a lot of things this year as a team,” Newhall said. “We went to Hilton Head (S.C.) for a tournament, we won a big game at the TD Garden and we earned a state championship. I’m glad we waited this out and we were able to have a banquet like we normally do, no matter how different it may look. We’re just happy to be able to do this.”
As for the prospects for next season, Newhall — who also serves as the athletic director at St. Mary’s — remains optimistic.
“You can’t even say we’re taking things day by day because things are seriously changing hour by hour,” Newhall said. “Things are always changing, but we’re expecting some guidance from the state soon on what plans are for fall sports and things like that. I’m optimistic for there to be sports in at least some capacity this fall.”